We killed your Photobucket with our interest. This is why we can't have nice things, where nice things in this case are image-heavy AARs with a constant stream of updates.
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Yeah, the Photobucket issue is a pain. I haven't had similar issues with Imageshack myself, but I imagine that if I keep AARing it up, similar might occur. On the other hand, Imageshack apparently has a hard cap on the amount of images a free account can make, but that would probably not be difficult to get around, so the best solution probably would be to use multiple services unless you're willing to shell out some premium money.
OK, I found a trick.
I've already managed to download and sort all pictures from the first 11 round. I have created a blog dedicated to this AAR, and am uploading the previous 11 rounds (right now, only the first four are on, but I expect to be done by tonight). Once it will be done, I will only have to relink from here against my blog urls, and this should be fine.
So, update tonight, as scheduled, and images back ASAP.
I've already managed to download and sort all pictures from the first 11 round. I have created a blog dedicated to this AAR, and am uploading the previous 11 rounds (right now, only the first four are on, but I expect to be done by tonight). Once it will be done, I will only have to relink from here against my blog urls, and this should be fine.
So, update tonight, as scheduled, and images back ASAP.
Round XII (1447 - 1456): An army to use
Ray: GOOOOOOOOOOD Evening everyone and Welcome to "BIG RULER". I'm Ray Porter, and I am here with George I. Joe and B. Rene Daid to help you all follow that alternative history! This season, we are following Savoy. Last time, François-Hyacinthe had to fight simultaneously France, England and Napoli! The war had made a lot of victims, and Savoy spent the last seven years rebuilding an army that we all want to see fighting! Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome François-Hyacinthe I de Savoie, Roi de Savoie et des Arpitans, Rei d'Aragó, Rìghrean na h-Alba, Knjaže Bălgarija, Δεσπότης της Ηπείρου, Duc de Lorraine, Graft von Hohenzollern.
François-Hyacinthe: Good evening Ray.
Ray: François-Hyacinthe, you rebuilt your entire military force, now even including cannons to your armies... Tell me... who is next on Savoy's list?
François-Hyacinthe: Well, you are optimistic about our military... We indeed spent several years rebuilding. We needed an army back, but we as well needed a strong economy and improved relations with all our neighbors.
Ray: Did you had enough time to do so?
François-Hyacinthe: Yes and no. See, we have spent enough time to be able to answer by force to any threat or any provocation, but not enough to be bellicose ourselves.
Ray: So, wars, but we don't know who will be the opponents yet?
François-Hyacinthe: No. The only ones on my list are the Hussites who still hide on Savoy's territory. This is inadmissible.
B.: Ray! I do have a question!
Ray: Go ahead, B.!
B.: Where?
Ray: I meant... What is your question?
B.: François-Hyacinthe, you have been ruling Savoy for the last 20 years. You now are 36, and you still don't have any son... Some people say you spend more time with your clerical advisers than with your wife. Do you have anything to say?
François-Hyacinthe: Well, my duties as King requests a lot of time, and I don't spend enough time with my wife, this is true. But I'm only 36 so I still have time before becoming a dad, and if anything wrong happens, I'm more than confident that my young brother Philibert will be able to handle the situation...
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George: No war... With such army.... This is a pity.
Ray: You know George, a war might come earlier than you think... See, the Ottomans just attacked the newly revolted Roman Empire. This is not a real Empire, since they only control the town of Samsun and the surroundings, but they called themselves so.
George: But Savoy is not the defender of the Catholic Faith anymore... Anyway, the Roman Empire is Orthodox.... Why would François-Hyacinthe exploit that situation?
Ray: Well, A few weeks ago, the Epirus senate proclaimed their protection on the Roman Empire. So Epirus declared war on the Ottomans.
George: And François-Hyacinthe is both King of Savoy and Despote of Epirus.... And the pope called for a Crusade against the Ottomans...
Ray: Here we go, Savoy attack in May 1447. All vassals and unions, plus allies Flandres and Castille join the fun. And since a crusade against the Ottomans can't be lost by Savoy, Candar, Hamid, Dulkadir and Napoli all declare war on the Ottomans the next few weeks.
George: In September, the Ottomans have no control on the situation whatsoever.
B.: Guys, I hear some screams here at the palace...
Ray: Let me check... How, a Swiss spy just got captured at the Palace. The Switzerland ambassador is called to apologize, but he refuses. But him and the captured spy are killed, tortured following the "rasp torture"
George: Yes, we are making grated Swiss here...
Ray: Oh! George!
George: What? Anyway, as predicted, A Savoyard army enters Swiss territory. Another one embarks the Savoyard fleet, which set sails to Cyprus, who defended Switzerland.
Ray: Cyprus is no match. The French King of Cyprus, Pierre II de Lusignan, is vassalized in January 1448. Other good news reach Chambery this winter, as in March, the Pope officially takes position in the recurrent Franco-Savoyard conflict, in favor of Savoy. The French King is forced to marry François-Hyacinthe's daughter as a proof of good will...
George: I'm sure the money Savoy sent to the pope a few weeks ago has nothing to do with it....
Ray: I'm not sure... Anyway, the end of the year does not bring good news. At the end of the summer, the Epirus senate calls for a truce with the Ottomans, while Switzerland convince Venice to attack Savoy!
George: Venice is no real threat. However, their Navy is very strong, with around 80 combat ships. It will be hard for the Savoyard coalition to navigate in the Mediterranean.
Ray: And economically, this is a blow too, since Savoy was part of the Venetian trade league...
George: Anyway, look at the situation in April 1447 in Turkey. The Ottomans are doomed.
Ray: Peace with Switzerland occurs in September 1449. This is an expensive one for Switzerland, who have to give its huge reserves of gold to Savoy.
George: I heard that France's budget minister fled to Switzerland with a lot of gold... So this would be French gold?
Ray: Well, we are not sure that Jerome de Quaüsaque went to Switzerland. Maybe one of his ascendants will, but this is out of the scope of this show... Anyway, a few weeks later the Ottomans capitulate as well. In addition to the usual core renunciation, the Turks will cede their former capital of Edirne to Bulgaria, the East coast of Constantinople to Epirus -with a temporary Savoyard administration during the war with Venice-, and their ally Eretna will give Giresun back to Trebizon.
George: Nice little treaty. And since it was a crusade, no one in Europe really cares...
Ray: Indeed. And the diplomatic machine can work. Freed from Switzerland one year sooner, the Kingdom of Basel asks to join the Commonwealth of Savoy, and is gladly accepted as a vassal.
George: We are still officially at war, but with all Venetian holdings either occupied by Savoy or under siege, this is just a matter of time before a peace occurs between Savoy and Venice.
Ray: You are right, George. Peace is secured in August 1451. Venice revokes some cores, pays war reparations, and cedes their Greek holdings.
George: Except Crete.
Ray: Except Crete. These territories, as well as East Constantinople, are supposed to be slowly transferred to Epirus, but there is little time to do so. Only a few weeks after Venice's capitulation, England attacks Leinster. The alliance machine is on, and Savoy is quickly called into the war...
George: This time, Savoy cannot afford to let Scotland fight England by itself. three small armies are landed in Scotland, and engage the enemy in the North by fall.
George: This is very smart because it drives the English army toward Scotland, which gives plenty of time to Savoy allies, Castille, Flandres and -for this war- Portugal, to land South of the Island. Soon, the English army is pinched and England occupation is organized. Here is the situation in April 1452.
Ray: Still, the English forts can hold for a very long time... England only signs a peace treaty in March 1454, giving York to (ultimately) Scotland.
George: It is a shame that François-Hyacinthe does not want to upset his neighbors, as he might have captured way more territory...
Ray: Indeed. But he appears as a good and loyal ruler, which allows the newly Kingdom of Cornwall to join the Commonwealth as a vassal a few months later, in August to be precise. I guess now we'll have to wait 18 pacific months for this round to end...
George: The pope disagrees. He just excommunicated Brabant in June 1455...
Ray: Savoy cares about Brabant?
George: They should. France has been progressing a lot in that low lands area lately. If Savoy does not attack Brabant, France will, and will grow more and more powerful.
Ray: You are right. With the pope's blessings, in August, both Holland, Gelre and... Savoy attack Brabant.
George: Brabant army is quickly defeated.
Ray: I'm sorry George, but
George: And now Karaman and its ally Eretna attack the Roman Empire! Of course, Epirus counter-attack! This end of Round XII is going wild!
Ray: I'm sorry, George. but we have to hand back our microphones for the one century Special... But these two wars are very promising, and am sure we will see a lot of action during Round XIII!
Ray: GOOOOOOOOOOD Evening everyone and Welcome to "BIG RULER". I'm Ray Porter, and I am here with George I. Joe and B. Rene Daid to help you all follow that alternative history! This season, we are following Savoy. Last time, François-Hyacinthe had to fight simultaneously France, England and Napoli! The war had made a lot of victims, and Savoy spent the last seven years rebuilding an army that we all want to see fighting! Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome François-Hyacinthe I de Savoie, Roi de Savoie et des Arpitans, Rei d'Aragó, Rìghrean na h-Alba, Knjaže Bălgarija, Δεσπότης της Ηπείρου, Duc de Lorraine, Graft von Hohenzollern.
François-Hyacinthe: Good evening Ray.
Ray: François-Hyacinthe, you rebuilt your entire military force, now even including cannons to your armies... Tell me... who is next on Savoy's list?
François-Hyacinthe: Well, you are optimistic about our military... We indeed spent several years rebuilding. We needed an army back, but we as well needed a strong economy and improved relations with all our neighbors.
Ray: Did you had enough time to do so?
François-Hyacinthe: Yes and no. See, we have spent enough time to be able to answer by force to any threat or any provocation, but not enough to be bellicose ourselves.
Ray: So, wars, but we don't know who will be the opponents yet?
François-Hyacinthe: No. The only ones on my list are the Hussites who still hide on Savoy's territory. This is inadmissible.
B.: Ray! I do have a question!
Ray: Go ahead, B.!
B.: Where?
Ray: I meant... What is your question?
B.: François-Hyacinthe, you have been ruling Savoy for the last 20 years. You now are 36, and you still don't have any son... Some people say you spend more time with your clerical advisers than with your wife. Do you have anything to say?
François-Hyacinthe: Well, my duties as King requests a lot of time, and I don't spend enough time with my wife, this is true. But I'm only 36 so I still have time before becoming a dad, and if anything wrong happens, I'm more than confident that my young brother Philibert will be able to handle the situation...
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George: No war... With such army.... This is a pity.
Ray: You know George, a war might come earlier than you think... See, the Ottomans just attacked the newly revolted Roman Empire. This is not a real Empire, since they only control the town of Samsun and the surroundings, but they called themselves so.
George: But Savoy is not the defender of the Catholic Faith anymore... Anyway, the Roman Empire is Orthodox.... Why would François-Hyacinthe exploit that situation?
Ray: Well, A few weeks ago, the Epirus senate proclaimed their protection on the Roman Empire. So Epirus declared war on the Ottomans.
George: And François-Hyacinthe is both King of Savoy and Despote of Epirus.... And the pope called for a Crusade against the Ottomans...
Ray: Here we go, Savoy attack in May 1447. All vassals and unions, plus allies Flandres and Castille join the fun. And since a crusade against the Ottomans can't be lost by Savoy, Candar, Hamid, Dulkadir and Napoli all declare war on the Ottomans the next few weeks.
George: In September, the Ottomans have no control on the situation whatsoever.
B.: Guys, I hear some screams here at the palace...
Ray: Let me check... How, a Swiss spy just got captured at the Palace. The Switzerland ambassador is called to apologize, but he refuses. But him and the captured spy are killed, tortured following the "rasp torture"
George: Yes, we are making grated Swiss here...
Ray: Oh! George!
George: What? Anyway, as predicted, A Savoyard army enters Swiss territory. Another one embarks the Savoyard fleet, which set sails to Cyprus, who defended Switzerland.
Ray: Cyprus is no match. The French King of Cyprus, Pierre II de Lusignan, is vassalized in January 1448. Other good news reach Chambery this winter, as in March, the Pope officially takes position in the recurrent Franco-Savoyard conflict, in favor of Savoy. The French King is forced to marry François-Hyacinthe's daughter as a proof of good will...
George: I'm sure the money Savoy sent to the pope a few weeks ago has nothing to do with it....
Ray: I'm not sure... Anyway, the end of the year does not bring good news. At the end of the summer, the Epirus senate calls for a truce with the Ottomans, while Switzerland convince Venice to attack Savoy!
George: Venice is no real threat. However, their Navy is very strong, with around 80 combat ships. It will be hard for the Savoyard coalition to navigate in the Mediterranean.
Ray: And economically, this is a blow too, since Savoy was part of the Venetian trade league...
George: Anyway, look at the situation in April 1447 in Turkey. The Ottomans are doomed.
Ray: Peace with Switzerland occurs in September 1449. This is an expensive one for Switzerland, who have to give its huge reserves of gold to Savoy.
George: I heard that France's budget minister fled to Switzerland with a lot of gold... So this would be French gold?
Ray: Well, we are not sure that Jerome de Quaüsaque went to Switzerland. Maybe one of his ascendants will, but this is out of the scope of this show... Anyway, a few weeks later the Ottomans capitulate as well. In addition to the usual core renunciation, the Turks will cede their former capital of Edirne to Bulgaria, the East coast of Constantinople to Epirus -with a temporary Savoyard administration during the war with Venice-, and their ally Eretna will give Giresun back to Trebizon.
George: Nice little treaty. And since it was a crusade, no one in Europe really cares...
Ray: Indeed. And the diplomatic machine can work. Freed from Switzerland one year sooner, the Kingdom of Basel asks to join the Commonwealth of Savoy, and is gladly accepted as a vassal.
George: We are still officially at war, but with all Venetian holdings either occupied by Savoy or under siege, this is just a matter of time before a peace occurs between Savoy and Venice.
Ray: You are right, George. Peace is secured in August 1451. Venice revokes some cores, pays war reparations, and cedes their Greek holdings.
George: Except Crete.
Ray: Except Crete. These territories, as well as East Constantinople, are supposed to be slowly transferred to Epirus, but there is little time to do so. Only a few weeks after Venice's capitulation, England attacks Leinster. The alliance machine is on, and Savoy is quickly called into the war...
George: This time, Savoy cannot afford to let Scotland fight England by itself. three small armies are landed in Scotland, and engage the enemy in the North by fall.
George: This is very smart because it drives the English army toward Scotland, which gives plenty of time to Savoy allies, Castille, Flandres and -for this war- Portugal, to land South of the Island. Soon, the English army is pinched and England occupation is organized. Here is the situation in April 1452.
Ray: Still, the English forts can hold for a very long time... England only signs a peace treaty in March 1454, giving York to (ultimately) Scotland.
George: It is a shame that François-Hyacinthe does not want to upset his neighbors, as he might have captured way more territory...
Ray: Indeed. But he appears as a good and loyal ruler, which allows the newly Kingdom of Cornwall to join the Commonwealth as a vassal a few months later, in August to be precise. I guess now we'll have to wait 18 pacific months for this round to end...
George: The pope disagrees. He just excommunicated Brabant in June 1455...
Ray: Savoy cares about Brabant?
George: They should. France has been progressing a lot in that low lands area lately. If Savoy does not attack Brabant, France will, and will grow more and more powerful.
Ray: You are right. With the pope's blessings, in August, both Holland, Gelre and... Savoy attack Brabant.
George: Brabant army is quickly defeated.
Ray: I'm sorry George, but
George: And now Karaman and its ally Eretna attack the Roman Empire! Of course, Epirus counter-attack! This end of Round XII is going wild!
Ray: I'm sorry, George. but we have to hand back our microphones for the one century Special... But these two wars are very promising, and am sure we will see a lot of action during Round XIII!
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Very good stuff! I noticed in the 'Pope mediates'-type event that France and Savoy entered into a royal marriage, or is this not the case? Would that not mean that another quartering or somesuch?
In any case, very nicely done. I'm looking forward to the century special.
In any case, very nicely done. I'm looking forward to the century special.
Those poor Ottomans. Doomed never to take Constantinople, they'll die a slow death of being cannibalised by their neighbours.
DensleyBlair: That event just forced the two nations into a standard EU3 royal marriage. Theoretically if there's no heir to the French throne it could end up controlled by Savoy but I think it's unlikely.
DensleyBlair: That event just forced the two nations into a standard EU3 royal marriage. Theoretically if there's no heir to the French throne it could end up controlled by Savoy but I think it's unlikely.
Ah, of course - I was getting my PUs mixed up with standard royal marriages. Ignore that bit (though I do always enjoy the heraldry 
)
)
I don't understand the marriage event either. What is its purpose? From the wording, it doesn't sound like just another random event (vanilla has a few, and they concern eligible bachelors/supposedly beautiful princesses) so what are its triggers?
But PU juniors can initiate wars in MEIOU ... interesting. In vanilla, they can at best be leaders in a defensive war should they maintain a sphere of influence. And I'm curious as to why you'd take York give it to Scotland, since it's not like you have nothing else to do with the infamy. You could have released Wales or, if they exist, any other minor states, and attempted to diplovassalise them.
Regarding the coats of arms ... what a coincidence, I was actually thinking of Spain when I suggested the 'Quarterly of six' arrangement. But you're right that there's no justification for changing the coat of arms once it has been established unless there's a change of monarch or a new title is added. And I see what you mean about liking more complex arms - here in England, we've had our national arms impaled and quartered dozens of times over and we have never had a 'English' ruler since the Wars of the Roses (and perhaps since Harold Godwinsson, if the Plantagenets don't count as being sufficiently English). Thus, it's sort of a custom for little people like us to lambast anyone whose arms are too pretentiously complex, regardless of whether they can back up their claims to their titles.
Still, I wonder if those kingdoms and duchies are going to stay on your arms if you inherit them, even if they get released as vassals later. After all, by doing so you're essentially just parcelling the territory out to your family younglings as appanage, no?
But PU juniors can initiate wars in MEIOU ... interesting. In vanilla, they can at best be leaders in a defensive war should they maintain a sphere of influence. And I'm curious as to why you'd take York give it to Scotland, since it's not like you have nothing else to do with the infamy. You could have released Wales or, if they exist, any other minor states, and attempted to diplovassalise them.
Regarding the coats of arms ... what a coincidence, I was actually thinking of Spain when I suggested the 'Quarterly of six' arrangement. But you're right that there's no justification for changing the coat of arms once it has been established unless there's a change of monarch or a new title is added. And I see what you mean about liking more complex arms - here in England, we've had our national arms impaled and quartered dozens of times over and we have never had a 'English' ruler since the Wars of the Roses (and perhaps since Harold Godwinsson, if the Plantagenets don't count as being sufficiently English). Thus, it's sort of a custom for little people like us to lambast anyone whose arms are too pretentiously complex, regardless of whether they can back up their claims to their titles.
Still, I wonder if those kingdoms and duchies are going to stay on your arms if you inherit them, even if they get released as vassals later. After all, by doing so you're essentially just parcelling the territory out to your family younglings as appanage, no?
That marriage event is one of the old Dei Gratia ones. I haven't really looked into the way those events work but I think either Savoy or France got the random chance to dispute something with their rival and it escalated until the Pope intervened.
I don't think the PU junior started the war. I think the Ottomans picked a fight with someone who the junior had guaranteed and that called them into the war. The Roman Empire is the warleader despite Epirus being much larger.
I'll also note that Wales doesn't start with cores but cores can appear if Welsh nationalists end up revolting against the English. Cornwall doesn't start with cores either but the same thing happened and he released+diplovassalised them.
I've got a first dispute event indeed, and choose to bribe the pope, and a few weeks/months later, this happened. There are several options to this event. At the time of the event, France had no heir, so I took the chance (with relations at -200, this was kinda unhoped). For a few months, France was supposed to go into a PU with Savoy at ruler's death, but an heir finally arrived
So right now this RM could just be seen as a useless +1 infamy (compared to other options), but first it was worth it (what if I had PU-ed France for 1 infamy and no war with that event?
), second, while France built a huge army (115k at the time of the event), probably just for my blue eyes, they are not going to attack me without a stab hit.You are right. Except for the "Slow" death. They have been eaten pretty fast since they lost Constantinople to greek rebels during our first crusade
This is exactly what happened. Roman Empire had been guaranteed by Epirus, then attacked by the Ottomans. Epirus received an invitation from the Roman Empire to join the existing war as an ally (Roman Empire still was the war leader), and they did
Cornwall was the only state I could release (just like I couldn't release Corsica in my previous wars with Genoa until I got tired of it and annex the island). I really thought twice before taking York. With the anglois culture down, Scotland made very slow progress into English land through the "war dynamics" (capturing occupied provinces for 1 infamy during a war)... I wanted to give Scotland the opportunity to take the upper hand in future wars against England (so any war with England can be given to Scotland, just like Epirus does against Ottomans). My first aim was to take the English down. Infamy-wise I'm around 20-22/33 so I can afford it.
Well, it would be logical to keep the arms since this is what usually happened IRL. However, I'm not going to do so, or it could be messy. Aragon inherited Sicily already, but the Aragon arms are plain Aragon instead of the Aragon-Sicily par it should be. I'm waiting for Lorraine and Hohenzollern to inherit: the only cores I'll get, plus potential nice arms as a result: Scotland-Epirus-Bulgaria-Aragon, Savoy on top...
SPECIAL EDITION: One Century update
Bree: Good evening everyone, I am Bree Zenter, and I will be hosting tonight's special edition of Big Ruler. My guests will be Ray and George, hosts of the show, as well as Bob, from "Bob and Jim", hosts of the world known Double Domination show. Tonight we will discuss What happened in the last century, and what has to be expected in the next one.... Bob... did you follow the first rounds of this first season?
Bob: I must admit I haven't.
Bree: Well, this is not a problem. Ray will make you a short resume.
Ray: Thanks Bree. Well Bob, we are playing 10-years-long rounds one after the other, and the round ends if a ruler dies.
Bob: When did you start?
Ray: We started in 1356, with Amedee VI de Savoie.
Bob: Wasn't he a total idiot based on the GeneTech BlueBlood™ scanner ?
Ray: He was, but he actually did pretty well. He exploited any situation he could and nearly doubled the size of his country while being crowned Duke of Lorraine and King of Scotland. The only trouble he had was with the economy, as Savoy went close to bankrupt several times.
George: Don't say it is the army fault!
Ray: I won't. Anyway, we followed his reign during 24 years before his son took over. Charles I had been openly aggressive, since he was a skilled diplomat, and Savoy majors conquest were done during his 33 years reign, including the crowns of Bulgaria, Epirus and Aragon, the two latter being acquired during wars.
Bob: With Aragon, Savoy sure turned powerful by that time! Father and son ruled for 57 years? this is amazing!
Ray: It is. And both of them were killed during a war. France for Amedee, Mamlukian Crusade for Charles. Charle's son, Amedee VII, had a shorter reign though, with only 13 years. Amedee was more of a reformer, so he did great for Savoy and the defense of the Catholic faith, but gained little land. His only achievement to be remembered is the liberation of Jerusalem in 1415, after more than 2 centuries of Muslim occupation. His son Francois-Hyacinthe followed the same path, but gained more land due to his longer reign.
Bree: We have a map which illustrates that.
Bob: I see... Charles made a lot...
Ray: You know, retrospectively, Charles might have done so much... He fought tough wars so, as he is the one who made Savoy switch from a minor European nation to a real Power.
Bob: What about the economy?
Ray: Well, as we can see on these graphs, Amedee VI did not really helped Savoy income. Charles' conquests brought a lot of wealth, and Amedee VII then Francois Hyacinthe managed to increase Savoy's income without increasing the size of the nation too much. Right now only France and Castille can match Savoy's economy.
Bob: Ray, what are these red dots on the last chart?
Ray: Well, these are the nations performing worse than Savoy in Trade and/or production. See, thirty years ago, at Amedee's death, Savoy was the worse nation in Trade, and made it bottom 3 for production. Savoy situation increased a lot in trade (+20%) and in production (+30%). creating a 36% increase in income. This resulted in Savoy remaining in the group of the most advanced nations in the known world
Bob: You spoke about religion sooner?
Ray: Indeed. There is an important - though not major - Hussite spread going on in Europe, and Savoy spent several years trying to stop it.
Bob: it looks pretty localized to me...
Ray: With that map of majorities, it does. But look at that map, where all Catholic provinces of the Commonwealth have been colored based on the strength of the Hussite community there.
Bob: This indeed looks worse. Did the Edits did anything?
Ray: Not really, and since Savoy is not defender of the faith anymore, no one force converts the Hussite rulers, so they favor the spread.
Bob: I was wondering... What about the other nations? How are they doing
Ray: Well, this is the situation in Western Europe.
George: Savoy has been doing pretty good, only a handful of nations can be a threat for Savoy. We sure have not to underestimate Bohemia, or England -even if they have been beaten pretty bad several times in a row-, and fortunately, Castille is Savoy's ally. That lefts us with Austria, who rebuilt nicely since the Hussite wars of 1417, Hungary, in an union with Croatia, and who grown powerful too since the war of Epirus succession of 1400, and France. France right now has the biggest army in Europe, with 120,000 men, which is even more than Savoy's 100,000. And France has overseas holding in Ireland, Africa and the Adriatic. I don't understand how France can rebuild so quickly and so heavily its manpower after each war with Savoy.
Bob: How fast is France rebuilding?
George: about 10,000 men a year when at peace.
Bob: This is fast.
George: Savoy could afford that rate only when at war, thanks to all the vassals support, but the last two rulers tended to have a cautious approach about military spending...
Bree: What about Poland? Aren't they a contender for Savoy's domination of Europe?
George: They might be. Actually, the Eastern world has created two superpowers, Poland and Muscovy. Teutonic was a third one a few years back, but the alliance of Poland with Russian nations -including Muscovy- is dooming them. I don't know yet if Poland and Muscovy will stay allied -in which case they will be a threat to Savoy- or if they will destroy each other.
Bob: I understood Savoy has some holdings in the East Mediterranean? What is the situation looking over there?
George: Pretty Good from a Savoyard perspective. The Mamluks never recovered from the Savoyard crusade, while Ottomans suffered defeats after defeats, and are now eaten by every willing neighbor.
Bob: There is a huge number of minor Muslim nations between Savoy holdings and Epirus... It is surprising Savoy did not exploit that yet.
George: The opportunity wasn't there... But I will be surprised if the situation is not exploited by Francois Hyacinthe or his brother and heir Philibert, since he is a pure military leader.
Bree: This is a question I had... Is Francois Hyacinthe Gay?
Ray: I can answer that. He is not. Our field reporter, B. Rene Daid, could testify of that... I can assure you that he his very active in that specific field, and had a lot of mistresses. He has several kids already, but none of them with his wife, which creates that "heir" problem.
Bree: Thanks, this was useful.
Bob: Actually no one cares about Francois Hyacinthe's sexual life. We were talking of Savoy's potential expansion paths for the next century...
George: Yes Bob, I made a map with the potential progress
Bob: Can you explain, please?
George: Yes. I guess Savoy's plan are to expand economically. non HRE nearby center of trades, in blue, seems to be the main opportunity. Venetian Dubrovnik (1), Genoa (2), Tunis (3), Karaman's Ankara (4) or Danish Nordsjaelland (5) are viable targets for the next decades.
Bob: I understand better. Orange paths might be unification targets?
George: They are. Some piece of lands, while not strategical, might save Savoy a lot of Trouble. This is the case of the Aquitaine enclave (1), the South-West HRE boundary (2), the Eastern bank of Adriatic (3), the Southern coast of the Black sea (4), or even the Alexandria - Jerusalem coastline.
Ray: What about red arrays?
George: I considered them as logical expansion paths. Savoy has to avoid HRE right now, so it only leads to four paths: Muslim land (1), either near Savoy holdings, or in North Africa if Savoy promulgates an "Unam Sanctam" law.
Ray: Which is highly possible.
George: Indeed. Other potential expansions includes Italy (2), France (3) and Scandinavia (4)
Bob: Which one or which ones will be followed. You enumerated a total of 14 options... I am sure some of them will be explored...
George: It is difficult to say, as Savoyard rulers are unpredictable and mostly seize any opportunity. The holy wars path seems the most plausible, since it is the only one which will not upset the European Powers...
Bree: Well, we will see in the next few rounds of Big Ruler! Bob, Thanks for passing by, this was a pleasure to see you. Ray, George, Good luck for the next show. Good night everyone, don't miss the next episode of Big Ruler!
Bree: Good evening everyone, I am Bree Zenter, and I will be hosting tonight's special edition of Big Ruler. My guests will be Ray and George, hosts of the show, as well as Bob, from "Bob and Jim", hosts of the world known Double Domination show. Tonight we will discuss What happened in the last century, and what has to be expected in the next one.... Bob... did you follow the first rounds of this first season?
Bob: I must admit I haven't.
Bree: Well, this is not a problem. Ray will make you a short resume.
Ray: Thanks Bree. Well Bob, we are playing 10-years-long rounds one after the other, and the round ends if a ruler dies.
Bob: When did you start?
Ray: We started in 1356, with Amedee VI de Savoie.
Bob: Wasn't he a total idiot based on the GeneTech BlueBlood™ scanner ?
Ray: He was, but he actually did pretty well. He exploited any situation he could and nearly doubled the size of his country while being crowned Duke of Lorraine and King of Scotland. The only trouble he had was with the economy, as Savoy went close to bankrupt several times.
George: Don't say it is the army fault!
Ray: I won't. Anyway, we followed his reign during 24 years before his son took over. Charles I had been openly aggressive, since he was a skilled diplomat, and Savoy majors conquest were done during his 33 years reign, including the crowns of Bulgaria, Epirus and Aragon, the two latter being acquired during wars.
Bob: With Aragon, Savoy sure turned powerful by that time! Father and son ruled for 57 years? this is amazing!
Ray: It is. And both of them were killed during a war. France for Amedee, Mamlukian Crusade for Charles. Charle's son, Amedee VII, had a shorter reign though, with only 13 years. Amedee was more of a reformer, so he did great for Savoy and the defense of the Catholic faith, but gained little land. His only achievement to be remembered is the liberation of Jerusalem in 1415, after more than 2 centuries of Muslim occupation. His son Francois-Hyacinthe followed the same path, but gained more land due to his longer reign.
Bree: We have a map which illustrates that.
Bob: I see... Charles made a lot...
Ray: You know, retrospectively, Charles might have done so much... He fought tough wars so, as he is the one who made Savoy switch from a minor European nation to a real Power.
Bob: What about the economy?
Ray: Well, as we can see on these graphs, Amedee VI did not really helped Savoy income. Charles' conquests brought a lot of wealth, and Amedee VII then Francois Hyacinthe managed to increase Savoy's income without increasing the size of the nation too much. Right now only France and Castille can match Savoy's economy.
Bob: Ray, what are these red dots on the last chart?
Ray: Well, these are the nations performing worse than Savoy in Trade and/or production. See, thirty years ago, at Amedee's death, Savoy was the worse nation in Trade, and made it bottom 3 for production. Savoy situation increased a lot in trade (+20%) and in production (+30%). creating a 36% increase in income. This resulted in Savoy remaining in the group of the most advanced nations in the known world
Bob: You spoke about religion sooner?
Ray: Indeed. There is an important - though not major - Hussite spread going on in Europe, and Savoy spent several years trying to stop it.
Bob: it looks pretty localized to me...
Ray: With that map of majorities, it does. But look at that map, where all Catholic provinces of the Commonwealth have been colored based on the strength of the Hussite community there.
Bob: This indeed looks worse. Did the Edits did anything?
Ray: Not really, and since Savoy is not defender of the faith anymore, no one force converts the Hussite rulers, so they favor the spread.
Bob: I was wondering... What about the other nations? How are they doing
Ray: Well, this is the situation in Western Europe.
George: Savoy has been doing pretty good, only a handful of nations can be a threat for Savoy. We sure have not to underestimate Bohemia, or England -even if they have been beaten pretty bad several times in a row-, and fortunately, Castille is Savoy's ally. That lefts us with Austria, who rebuilt nicely since the Hussite wars of 1417, Hungary, in an union with Croatia, and who grown powerful too since the war of Epirus succession of 1400, and France. France right now has the biggest army in Europe, with 120,000 men, which is even more than Savoy's 100,000. And France has overseas holding in Ireland, Africa and the Adriatic. I don't understand how France can rebuild so quickly and so heavily its manpower after each war with Savoy.
Bob: How fast is France rebuilding?
George: about 10,000 men a year when at peace.
Bob: This is fast.
George: Savoy could afford that rate only when at war, thanks to all the vassals support, but the last two rulers tended to have a cautious approach about military spending...
Bree: What about Poland? Aren't they a contender for Savoy's domination of Europe?
George: They might be. Actually, the Eastern world has created two superpowers, Poland and Muscovy. Teutonic was a third one a few years back, but the alliance of Poland with Russian nations -including Muscovy- is dooming them. I don't know yet if Poland and Muscovy will stay allied -in which case they will be a threat to Savoy- or if they will destroy each other.
Bob: I understood Savoy has some holdings in the East Mediterranean? What is the situation looking over there?
George: Pretty Good from a Savoyard perspective. The Mamluks never recovered from the Savoyard crusade, while Ottomans suffered defeats after defeats, and are now eaten by every willing neighbor.
Bob: There is a huge number of minor Muslim nations between Savoy holdings and Epirus... It is surprising Savoy did not exploit that yet.
George: The opportunity wasn't there... But I will be surprised if the situation is not exploited by Francois Hyacinthe or his brother and heir Philibert, since he is a pure military leader.
Bree: This is a question I had... Is Francois Hyacinthe Gay?
Ray: I can answer that. He is not. Our field reporter, B. Rene Daid, could testify of that... I can assure you that he his very active in that specific field, and had a lot of mistresses. He has several kids already, but none of them with his wife, which creates that "heir" problem.
Bree: Thanks, this was useful.
Bob: Actually no one cares about Francois Hyacinthe's sexual life. We were talking of Savoy's potential expansion paths for the next century...
George: Yes Bob, I made a map with the potential progress
Bob: Can you explain, please?
George: Yes. I guess Savoy's plan are to expand economically. non HRE nearby center of trades, in blue, seems to be the main opportunity. Venetian Dubrovnik (1), Genoa (2), Tunis (3), Karaman's Ankara (4) or Danish Nordsjaelland (5) are viable targets for the next decades.
Bob: I understand better. Orange paths might be unification targets?
George: They are. Some piece of lands, while not strategical, might save Savoy a lot of Trouble. This is the case of the Aquitaine enclave (1), the South-West HRE boundary (2), the Eastern bank of Adriatic (3), the Southern coast of the Black sea (4), or even the Alexandria - Jerusalem coastline.
Ray: What about red arrays?
George: I considered them as logical expansion paths. Savoy has to avoid HRE right now, so it only leads to four paths: Muslim land (1), either near Savoy holdings, or in North Africa if Savoy promulgates an "Unam Sanctam" law.
Ray: Which is highly possible.
George: Indeed. Other potential expansions includes Italy (2), France (3) and Scandinavia (4)
Bob: Which one or which ones will be followed. You enumerated a total of 14 options... I am sure some of them will be explored...
George: It is difficult to say, as Savoyard rulers are unpredictable and mostly seize any opportunity. The holy wars path seems the most plausible, since it is the only one which will not upset the European Powers...
Bree: Well, we will see in the next few rounds of Big Ruler! Bob, Thanks for passing by, this was a pleasure to see you. Ray, George, Good luck for the next show. Good night everyone, don't miss the next episode of Big Ruler!
Round XIII (1456-1459): Spy at your own risks
Ray: GOOOOOOOOOOD Evening everyone and Welcome to "BIG RULER". I'm Ray Porter, and I am here with George I. Joe and B. Rene Daid to help you all follow that alternative history! This season, we are following Savoy. Last time, François-Hyacinthe lead his nation to victory against the Ottomans, Switzerland, Venice and England, and has now just attacked Brabant! Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome François-Hyacinthe I de Savoie, Roi des Arpitans, Rei d'Aragó, Rìghrean na h-Alba, Knjaže Bălgarija, Prince de Savoie, Δεσπότης της Ηπείρου, Duc de Lorraine, Graft von Hohenzollern.
Ray: François-Hyacinthe, as Despote of Epirus, you are currently fighting the Ottomans. Will Savoy join Epirus in this fight?
François-Hyacinthe: We will, if Epirus need it. There have been numerous of Savoyard wars in which Epirus has not been involved, because there was no need to do so. This is the same here. The Ottomans are beaten already, so there is no need to involve Savoy. Moreover, our people is starting to be tired of wars. We'll have to end that war with Brabant quickly, and spend several years recovering.
George: And then, what will be your next step? We discussed it a lot lately but found way too many possible targets for you...
François-Hyacinthe: Well, the next step is peace, as I just told... But if we had to declare war on someone purely for territory gain, it will have to be a Holy war in Syria....
George: Yes! This was my bet! Thanks François-Hyacinthe!
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George: Ray, you owe me 20 bucks!
Ray: I might. But remember this other bet we had about who will dominate the East? You said it will be the Teutonics.... I'll say we are even.
George: Aouch! Anyway François-Hyacinthe starts this round quickly. The traditional Swiss spy is grated in February, and war is on already!
Ray: This war does not last long though. In March and October, Brabant and Switzerland both have capitulated, and none of them should be any trouble any more.
George: So now starts the period of "peace and recovery"?
Ray: It should... Except in December, Genoa sends its traditional spy...
George: Genoa is allied with England, the Knights, Hamburg and the pope.... I don't think this would be wise to attack Genoa in these conditions...
Ray: It is not. Still, François-Hyacinthe does it. To fully concentrate on this war, Epirus signs a peace with the Ottomans, and Napoli exploits the opportunity to attack the pope!
George: the pope is guaranteed by Savoy... and he asks Savoy to help him, while at war against Savoy! This guy really has no face!
Ray: I think everything went too fast for the ambassadors...
George: Whatever. The first year of war is going smoothly.
Ray: Hamburg capitulates after only six months
George: Smart from François-Hyacinthe not to upset the Holy Roman Emperor with another vassal... And look at the situation in January 1459. The Scott-British boundary has been the main front, and after several battles, the English army, besieging Cumberland and Northumberland, is pinched between the defending Scottish army to the North, and the Savoy-Scotland invading army to the South. This leaves no way back for the English to retreat and defend their South shore against Castillian assaults. In Italy and Turkey however, no resistance can be seen and the Savoyard coalition is easily winning.
Ray: And while we are in the middle of such large scale war, François-Hyacinthe inaugurates a new monument to the glory of the fallen ones... This time in Auxerre. And accepts a peace from the pope in March
George: with Napoli holding the Latium and Roma, there was no need for François-Hyacinthe to upset the pope longer than he already did. Now Genoa, the Knights and England have to capitulate too...
Ray: But François-Hyacinthe capitulates first.
George: What do you mean? He is winning.... Oh, I see...
Ray: After 33 years of reign, François-Hyacinthe died, letting his little brother, Philibert, 44, to reign his lands of Savoy, Scotland, Epirus, Aragon, Bulgaria, Lorraine and Hohenzollern...
George: At least this is a warrior!
Ray: Philibert is not as good as François-Hyacinthe about economics, but he received a strong military education, and is a skilled diplomat too, so this might be promising for future wars, since he will be able to lead his army and convince the other European nations that he is right to fight these wars.... But he'll still have to finish this one, and give his people some rest before fighting anyone....
George: Boring...
Ray: No, I'm sure next episode of Big Ruler will be full of action! So Don't miss it folks!
Ray: GOOOOOOOOOOD Evening everyone and Welcome to "BIG RULER". I'm Ray Porter, and I am here with George I. Joe and B. Rene Daid to help you all follow that alternative history! This season, we are following Savoy. Last time, François-Hyacinthe lead his nation to victory against the Ottomans, Switzerland, Venice and England, and has now just attacked Brabant! Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome François-Hyacinthe I de Savoie, Roi des Arpitans, Rei d'Aragó, Rìghrean na h-Alba, Knjaže Bălgarija, Prince de Savoie, Δεσπότης της Ηπείρου, Duc de Lorraine, Graft von Hohenzollern.
Ray: François-Hyacinthe, as Despote of Epirus, you are currently fighting the Ottomans. Will Savoy join Epirus in this fight?
François-Hyacinthe: We will, if Epirus need it. There have been numerous of Savoyard wars in which Epirus has not been involved, because there was no need to do so. This is the same here. The Ottomans are beaten already, so there is no need to involve Savoy. Moreover, our people is starting to be tired of wars. We'll have to end that war with Brabant quickly, and spend several years recovering.
George: And then, what will be your next step? We discussed it a lot lately but found way too many possible targets for you...
François-Hyacinthe: Well, the next step is peace, as I just told... But if we had to declare war on someone purely for territory gain, it will have to be a Holy war in Syria....
George: Yes! This was my bet! Thanks François-Hyacinthe!
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George: Ray, you owe me 20 bucks!
Ray: I might. But remember this other bet we had about who will dominate the East? You said it will be the Teutonics.... I'll say we are even.
George: Aouch! Anyway François-Hyacinthe starts this round quickly. The traditional Swiss spy is grated in February, and war is on already!
Ray: This war does not last long though. In March and October, Brabant and Switzerland both have capitulated, and none of them should be any trouble any more.
George: So now starts the period of "peace and recovery"?
Ray: It should... Except in December, Genoa sends its traditional spy...
George: Genoa is allied with England, the Knights, Hamburg and the pope.... I don't think this would be wise to attack Genoa in these conditions...
Ray: It is not. Still, François-Hyacinthe does it. To fully concentrate on this war, Epirus signs a peace with the Ottomans, and Napoli exploits the opportunity to attack the pope!
George: the pope is guaranteed by Savoy... and he asks Savoy to help him, while at war against Savoy! This guy really has no face!
Ray: I think everything went too fast for the ambassadors...
George: Whatever. The first year of war is going smoothly.
Ray: Hamburg capitulates after only six months
George: Smart from François-Hyacinthe not to upset the Holy Roman Emperor with another vassal... And look at the situation in January 1459. The Scott-British boundary has been the main front, and after several battles, the English army, besieging Cumberland and Northumberland, is pinched between the defending Scottish army to the North, and the Savoy-Scotland invading army to the South. This leaves no way back for the English to retreat and defend their South shore against Castillian assaults. In Italy and Turkey however, no resistance can be seen and the Savoyard coalition is easily winning.
Ray: And while we are in the middle of such large scale war, François-Hyacinthe inaugurates a new monument to the glory of the fallen ones... This time in Auxerre. And accepts a peace from the pope in March
George: with Napoli holding the Latium and Roma, there was no need for François-Hyacinthe to upset the pope longer than he already did. Now Genoa, the Knights and England have to capitulate too...
Ray: But François-Hyacinthe capitulates first.
George: What do you mean? He is winning.... Oh, I see...
Ray: After 33 years of reign, François-Hyacinthe died, letting his little brother, Philibert, 44, to reign his lands of Savoy, Scotland, Epirus, Aragon, Bulgaria, Lorraine and Hohenzollern...
George: At least this is a warrior!
Ray: Philibert is not as good as François-Hyacinthe about economics, but he received a strong military education, and is a skilled diplomat too, so this might be promising for future wars, since he will be able to lead his army and convince the other European nations that he is right to fight these wars.... But he'll still have to finish this one, and give his people some rest before fighting anyone....
George: Boring...
Ray: No, I'm sure next episode of Big Ruler will be full of action! So Don't miss it folks!
Another entertaining update - Philibert certainly looks to be a promising ruler, though it's a shame to see François-Hyacinthe go. I'm looking forward to seeing what can be achieved under his rule.
I'm looking forward to the action-packed next episode. Will we be seeing a new cost of arms soon?
I'm looking forward to the action-packed next episode. Will we be seeing a new cost of arms soon?
I hope we end up with Philibert the Crusader. I want to see some crusader states formed.
If we want Savoy income to increase with Philibert, it has to be through conquests. And since the margin is tight between the current infamy and the infamy limit, it has to be against cheap targets.... Crusade is a real option.
However, right now infamy and War exhaustion do not allow for a war straight away. We'll have to wait a few years first, and I can assure you, this is not to Philibert's taste
On the other hand, I might have totally screwed up with the screenshots. I thought I'd transfer them from the /Screenshots folder to my EU3AAR/RoundXIV and EU3AAR/RoundXV folders, but they are not here anymore... neither are they in the /Screenshots folder or in the trash.... So except if a better inspection tonight proves me wrong, I guess I'll merge the 15 years of Philibert's reign into a single Round, picture-less.
Yes, Philibert did nothing for it, but at his death two unions where inherited. And in the first round of his son Louis, two new ones were pacifically gained. I suspect there might be some kind of limitation in the number of PUs you might have simultaneously by slowing down any pacific acquisition if you reach this number... Anyway, 3 new arms for Louis' first round
It is. Feel-ebare is an old French name. It was popular until WWI and now only concerns a dozen of babies every year in France. Several Philibert became famous: Saint Philibert (VIIth century), Grand Master of the Knights Philibert de Naillac (XVth), Dukes of Savoy Philibert I and II (XVth), Prince of Orange Philibert de Chalon (XVIth), Architect Philibert Delorme (XVIth), Composer Philibert Delavigne (XVIIIth), British Astronomer Philibert Melotte (XIX-XXth), former Madagascar President Philibert Tsiranana (XXth)....
The filbert hazelnut is named after this first name
Round XIV (1459-1469): A Pacific warrior
Ray: GOOOOOOOOOOD Evening everyone and Welcome to "BIG RULER". I'm Ray Porter, and I am here with George I. Joe and B. Rene Daid to help you all follow that alternative history! This season, we are following Savoy. Last time, François-Hyacinthe I was fighting England and Genoa while he died, leaving his brother Philibert rule his Empire. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Philibert I de Savoie, Roi de Savoie et des Arpitans, Rei d'Aragó, Rìghrean na h-Alba, Knjaže Bălgarija, Δεσπότης της Ηπείρου, Duc de Lorraine, Graft von Hohenzollern.
Philibert: Good evening Ray.
Ray: Philibert, you have been presented as a fierce military connoisseur, and a talented enough diplomat, while your father and your brothers were more of administrators. Will you follow their "internal focus" policy or should we expect something else?
Philibert: Obviously Ray, we'll have to change our policy. Savoy has been stagnant for years now. France, England, Napoli, Austria, Milan, the Russian and Polish, the Hussites, the Muslims... all of them are threats we authorized while being too gentle with them.
George: So you are going on a full offense?
Philibert: Long term, this is the plan indeed. Short term, we need to let the army rest from the current wars, as the army is exhausted. And we have to renew our investment into military techniques. I remember when I was a kid, Savoy army was so advanced we could beat any opponent, while outnumbered. As we saw lately, this is not the case anymore and Savoy is loosing battles.
Ray: So you are planning to spend this round resting and enhancing the military, to go on the full offense on the next one?
Philibert: We'll have to be on our guards, and ready to go to war at any time, but yes, this is the plan right now.
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Ray: What do you think of this strategy George?
George: Both Philibert and I would prefer to see Savoy going offensive as soon as possible, but it is wiser to do what he is doing, and rest before attacking.
Ray: However, Savoy still is at war against the Knights, Genoa and England...
George: This is just a matter of time before this war ends. Look at the situation in September 1460. The only remaining enemy troops are besieged in a dozen fortresses...
Ray: So why doesn't Philibert end the wars?
George: He probably plans to get the best he can from the peace deal. See, with several years of peace ahead, he can afford to upset a few European nations...
Ray: The Knights Order of Malta is first to capitulate, becoming a vassal in November.
George: The war still continues for a few months, but in May 1461 it really is time for peace. Genoa and England agrees to Savoy's terms.
Ray: I see that Genoa gives up its Turkish holdings to Epirus and newly formed Candar.
George: and England gives Lancaster to -ultimately- Scotland.
Ray: So the long period of peace can start....
George: Or it can't. Only a few weeks after the peace with England, the Ottomans attack the Roman Empire. Epirus goes to war...
Ray: But Epirus can handle it by itself. Savoy does not need to join. The bad news however are coming from Brabant in this summer of 1461. The revolts here made the country collapse. All provinces are integrated into Flandres. Savoy loses one vassal.
George: Too bad. But you were right about Epirus. After a year of war, the Ottomans are down already.
Ray: And in January 62, Savoy loses another vassal: Achaea is integrated into Savoy, then quickly sold to Epirus. I don't get it. It makes Epirus larger and stronger, so highly reduces the chances of the Epirus senate to vote a total integration when a king dies...
George: This actually is smart: with scheduled wars in the Eastern Mediterranean, Philibert ensures that he could count on a large partner in this area.
Ray: Oh, I see. Indeed, Epirus is strong against the Muslims. Look in May 63 where they are.
George: The Roman Empire is the war leader though, so this might not result in territorial gain for Epirus.
Ray: You are right. The Roman Empire calls for a white Peace in September, a few weeks after the island of Crete becomes a vassal of Savoy.
George: this was expected from day 1. Crete was able to revolt because Venice had no army after the war against Savoy which occurred Round XII. And Savoy did support the Greek Island through the independence war.
Ray: Yes. A smart move. Oh George, do you remember what happened in 56 between the Pope and Napli?
George: Oh yes, when Savoy attacked Genoa, the Pope defended the Doge against Savoy, persuading Napoli to attack the Pope. With the confusion, the pontifical ambassador in Napoli called Savoy in defense of its new enemy...
Ray: Well, the war between the Pope and Napoli is still on, and after 10 years of fighting, the Pope convinced Castille to joins... And do you know what Castille first move is?
George: to call its Savoyard ally in?
Ray: Exactly. And this time, Savoy joins.
George: this should be pretty quick though, as Napoli is tired of the war. Three months only after Savoy's intervention, it makes no doubt who will win.
Ray: Indeed. So Savoy just has to wait for the forts to fell...
George: There is time. This is the situation one year into the war for Savoy, but already 11 for Napoli.
Ray: Napolitan ambassadors are begging for a peace.
George: But this should be done with Savoy's terms.
Ray: Savoy can focus back on recovering.
George: I already see troops being landed in Palestine, I'm sure Savoy does not need much time again.
Ray: Indeed. In February 1468, the population of Toulouse recognizes Savoy as the legitimate ruler of its land. This creates trouble to the court.
George: Why that?
Ray: Toulouse is a cultural capital. Anyone speaking the Langua d'Occ would enjoy living in Toulouse. There are discussions whether Savoy should move its capital here or keep it in Chambery.
George: But with a capital in Toulouse, it would not be Savoy anymore.
Ray: Indeed, this would be more like "Occitania" or something like that. On the long term, it might be a good idea as a lot of people in Savoy itself, but also France, Castille or Aragon might suddenly recognize Philibert as a legitimate ruler.
George: Still, it would not be Savoy anymore.
Ray: This is true. Anyway, it is very unlikely that this question is solved in this round, as there are only a few days left....
George: WAR!
Ray: What George?
George: Savoy just declared a crusade against the Syrian state of Anazah!
Ray: Well, Round XV should be interesting then! That's all for tonight but make sure not to miss it folks!
Ray: GOOOOOOOOOOD Evening everyone and Welcome to "BIG RULER". I'm Ray Porter, and I am here with George I. Joe and B. Rene Daid to help you all follow that alternative history! This season, we are following Savoy. Last time, François-Hyacinthe I was fighting England and Genoa while he died, leaving his brother Philibert rule his Empire. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Philibert I de Savoie, Roi de Savoie et des Arpitans, Rei d'Aragó, Rìghrean na h-Alba, Knjaže Bălgarija, Δεσπότης της Ηπείρου, Duc de Lorraine, Graft von Hohenzollern.
Philibert: Good evening Ray.
Ray: Philibert, you have been presented as a fierce military connoisseur, and a talented enough diplomat, while your father and your brothers were more of administrators. Will you follow their "internal focus" policy or should we expect something else?
Philibert: Obviously Ray, we'll have to change our policy. Savoy has been stagnant for years now. France, England, Napoli, Austria, Milan, the Russian and Polish, the Hussites, the Muslims... all of them are threats we authorized while being too gentle with them.
George: So you are going on a full offense?
Philibert: Long term, this is the plan indeed. Short term, we need to let the army rest from the current wars, as the army is exhausted. And we have to renew our investment into military techniques. I remember when I was a kid, Savoy army was so advanced we could beat any opponent, while outnumbered. As we saw lately, this is not the case anymore and Savoy is loosing battles.
Ray: So you are planning to spend this round resting and enhancing the military, to go on the full offense on the next one?
Philibert: We'll have to be on our guards, and ready to go to war at any time, but yes, this is the plan right now.
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Ray: What do you think of this strategy George?
George: Both Philibert and I would prefer to see Savoy going offensive as soon as possible, but it is wiser to do what he is doing, and rest before attacking.
Ray: However, Savoy still is at war against the Knights, Genoa and England...
George: This is just a matter of time before this war ends. Look at the situation in September 1460. The only remaining enemy troops are besieged in a dozen fortresses...
Ray: So why doesn't Philibert end the wars?
George: He probably plans to get the best he can from the peace deal. See, with several years of peace ahead, he can afford to upset a few European nations...
Ray: The Knights Order of Malta is first to capitulate, becoming a vassal in November.
George: The war still continues for a few months, but in May 1461 it really is time for peace. Genoa and England agrees to Savoy's terms.
Ray: I see that Genoa gives up its Turkish holdings to Epirus and newly formed Candar.
George: and England gives Lancaster to -ultimately- Scotland.
Ray: So the long period of peace can start....
George: Or it can't. Only a few weeks after the peace with England, the Ottomans attack the Roman Empire. Epirus goes to war...
Ray: But Epirus can handle it by itself. Savoy does not need to join. The bad news however are coming from Brabant in this summer of 1461. The revolts here made the country collapse. All provinces are integrated into Flandres. Savoy loses one vassal.
George: Too bad. But you were right about Epirus. After a year of war, the Ottomans are down already.
Ray: And in January 62, Savoy loses another vassal: Achaea is integrated into Savoy, then quickly sold to Epirus. I don't get it. It makes Epirus larger and stronger, so highly reduces the chances of the Epirus senate to vote a total integration when a king dies...
George: This actually is smart: with scheduled wars in the Eastern Mediterranean, Philibert ensures that he could count on a large partner in this area.
Ray: Oh, I see. Indeed, Epirus is strong against the Muslims. Look in May 63 where they are.
George: The Roman Empire is the war leader though, so this might not result in territorial gain for Epirus.
Ray: You are right. The Roman Empire calls for a white Peace in September, a few weeks after the island of Crete becomes a vassal of Savoy.
George: this was expected from day 1. Crete was able to revolt because Venice had no army after the war against Savoy which occurred Round XII. And Savoy did support the Greek Island through the independence war.
Ray: Yes. A smart move. Oh George, do you remember what happened in 56 between the Pope and Napli?
George: Oh yes, when Savoy attacked Genoa, the Pope defended the Doge against Savoy, persuading Napoli to attack the Pope. With the confusion, the pontifical ambassador in Napoli called Savoy in defense of its new enemy...
Ray: Well, the war between the Pope and Napoli is still on, and after 10 years of fighting, the Pope convinced Castille to joins... And do you know what Castille first move is?
George: to call its Savoyard ally in?
Ray: Exactly. And this time, Savoy joins.
George: this should be pretty quick though, as Napoli is tired of the war. Three months only after Savoy's intervention, it makes no doubt who will win.
Ray: Indeed. So Savoy just has to wait for the forts to fell...
George: There is time. This is the situation one year into the war for Savoy, but already 11 for Napoli.
Ray: Napolitan ambassadors are begging for a peace.
George: But this should be done with Savoy's terms.
Ray: Savoy can focus back on recovering.
George: I already see troops being landed in Palestine, I'm sure Savoy does not need much time again.
Ray: Indeed. In February 1468, the population of Toulouse recognizes Savoy as the legitimate ruler of its land. This creates trouble to the court.
George: Why that?
Ray: Toulouse is a cultural capital. Anyone speaking the Langua d'Occ would enjoy living in Toulouse. There are discussions whether Savoy should move its capital here or keep it in Chambery.
George: But with a capital in Toulouse, it would not be Savoy anymore.
Ray: Indeed, this would be more like "Occitania" or something like that. On the long term, it might be a good idea as a lot of people in Savoy itself, but also France, Castille or Aragon might suddenly recognize Philibert as a legitimate ruler.
George: Still, it would not be Savoy anymore.
Ray: This is true. Anyway, it is very unlikely that this question is solved in this round, as there are only a few days left....
George: WAR!
Ray: What George?
George: Savoy just declared a crusade against the Syrian state of Anazah!
Ray: Well, Round XV should be interesting then! That's all for tonight but make sure not to miss it folks!
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The big crossroads is coming up, whether to look west or east for greater legitimacy. Or do you stay in the middle and forgo the free cores and tax gains. I'm looking forward to the war that will hopefully result in a separate state of Jerusalem.
One more thing, I think "leaving in Toulouse" should be "living in Toulouse".
One more thing, I think "leaving in Toulouse" should be "living in Toulouse".